Meghan Markle made a desperate play to boost her Hollywood profile by sending some overpriced wine and luxury goodies in an HRH-branded gift basket to legendary actor Robert De Niro on his 82nd birthday, only to suffer abject humiliation when De Niro allegedly declined the gift in a stinging snub.
Now, the Duchess of Sussex, hoping to hitch her brand to one of Tinseltown’s most cherished figures, has instead triggered a storm of criticism—with insiders saying she has been left red-faced after allegedly being spurned by the public.
Meghan painstakingly handpicked the hamper in a bid to win over De Niro and prove she was fit to rub shoulders with Hollywood’s elite. “She believed that tethering her name to a legend like De Niro could only enhance her cred,” said an insider.
But the tactic failed disastrously with De Niro—not someone who suffers fools or publicity stunts gladly—who brushed aside the offering as a thinly veiled PR exercise.
“He’s made it well known that he wants no part of her publicity circus,” a source close to the actor said, adding the basket was returned unopened.
The snub has sparked a frenzy on X, with #MeghanSnubbed trending and users piling on. “She is desperate to look elite, and De Niro cut through that,” one critic tweeted.
But supporters are defending Meghan’s gesture, with one fan writing, “It’s a birthday gift for declining to say his name, like, period.
Why hate?” The incident has refuelled continued discussion around Meghan’s plight to make a comeback after a year of Hollywood nightmares that include legal fights and family fallouts.
The flak left Prince Harry, apparently embarrassed by the drama, choosing to hold his tongue while Meghan’s people are now claiming it was a “private” act of goodwill.
The public embarrassment has further subjected her post-royal ambitions to withering scrutiny, with hearsay that her A-list efforts are flagging.
Can Meghan recover from this high-profile misstep, or is she now burning another bridge? For the moment, De Niro’s rejection has captured the world, transporting the elements of glamour, rejection, and royal drama that characterize what is a far from over saga.
